What if
by Im Always Sorry in the Morning
Summary: "What do you think you would be doing with your life right now if we weren't together?" Kate and Castle have a discussion about what if... Set in later seasons/no spoilers


What if…

* * *

Disclaimer: We can all dream as much…

* * *

It had been an incredibly long week. One full of leads, interviews, more leads, more interviews and absolutely nothing but dead-ends. After deciphering between theory and logic they had finally discovered that it was the victim's ex-mother in-law who had strangled the wedding planner with the _'Just Married' _banner. Come to find out the victim had cheated on one of Mrs. Gibson's sons by sleeping with two of her other sons.

Kate sighed and relaxed back into Castle's chest letting her eyes slip closed as Regina Alexander, the late night news anchor, wrapped up the story, but not before highlighting the 'magnificent' work of the NYPD in bringing down the extremely popular New York socialite and providing memorial service arrangements for Gabby Hutchinson.

Her eyes snap open when she hears _"New York City's most eligible bachelors and bachelorettes have been announced."_ filling her ears. She spies the _'Meet NYC's hottest B & B's'_ headline staring at her from the bottom of the screen. Her heart speeds and she has to suppress the urge to regurgitate her dinner as she thinks back to nearly four years ago when Castle's face was plastered all over the front page which proceeded a date _with 'below the fold'_ bachelorette number three. She calmed by logically telling herself that there was no way the New York Ledger would publish that her fiancée was a bachelor. Right? But technically aren't men bachelors till they marry? _'But we've been in the papers a few times'_ she thinks to herself. Sure, they had been photographed a few times on their date nights out on the town, at book releases, charity events, and of course their recent engagement announcement. She's drawn from her uneasy thoughts as the pictures of this year's bachelors grace the TV screen. She eyes through the ten pictures quickly releasing an airy laugh_, 'of course he isn't there.'_ That's what starts her mind wondering.

"Castle." she whispers as she runs her hand over his chest.

"Hmm?" it's barely audible as he stirs from his dozed-induced state.

She bites her lower lip wondering the best way to verbalize the words swarming her conscience.

"What do you think you would be doing with your life right now if we weren't together?"

"What?" he shrieks as his head jolts forward from the back of the couch.

"I mean like if we had never met each other." she cautiously lifts her eyes to him.

"You mean if you hadn't have bombarded my book party?" he smirks as Kate rolls her eyes. "Hmm, you know, I've never really thought about it."

Kate goes back to watching the news after a few moments of silence thinking to herself that he just isn't going to answer her question. And she's not sure if that is good or bad, yet at the same time she doesn't know if she wants to know the answer.

"Honestly," he replies after a few moments causing her to look back up at him, "I'd probably go skiing a lot more often. I would definitely be eating way too much whip cream for my own good. Add a suitable amount of points to my laser tag game. Wearing a robe to work would be a daily occurrence. In all likelihood I would have never participated in yoga."

Kate pulls back abruptly, a perplexed look taking over her soft features.

"I've never seen you "participate" in yoga." using air-quotes to emphasize her point.

"Yes well I consider watching _you_ do yoga as participating." he smiles as he stares off into the distance.

She shakes her head rolling her eyes and rests her head back onto his chest, knowing that he is imagining her in a position known as Prasarita Padottanasana, a position he calls the 'legs wide-spread ass in the air pose.'

"Let's see…I think I'd be a fan of more sports…you know, anything other than baseball." his eyes crinkle as he looks down at her knowing that statement will press a certain genetic button within her.

"Ohhh, ow." he exclaims, his statement earning him a jab in the ribs. "If I was still single I am hoping that I would have grown up eventually."

She snorts as he continues, ignoring her.

"And I hope someday I would have crossed paths with a gorgeously extraordinary, incredibly brilliant, secretly promiscuous, exquisitely sexy as hell, remarkably loving woman."

He pauses letting his words sink in. After a quiet moment he places his finger under her chin pulling her eyes to his.

"Like you." he whispers. And for a split second she thinks she imagined that until he rubs her nose with his gently.

A reserved smile spreads across her face as she lowers her eyes. And in that moment her heart flares with desire and love for this man.

"You know I would never trade a single thing to go back to any part of that life."

Her eyebrows rise in amused disbelief.

"C'mon seriously Kate, if you weren't in my life I'd wish I was Tom Cruise and play Guitar Hero in my underwear and socks. I'd be a hoarder of really bad peanuts and cheap beer for poker games. I would be in desperate need of a porn stash in the night stand and there wouldn't be any stilettos taking up half of the closet. My office wouldn't display cover art of a naked woman and the best character I've ever written never would have existed."

"Sounds like a rough life." she mumbles as she plays with the hem of his t-shirt.

He leans down and whispers in her ear.

"You know I bust my knee's skiing and you kick my ass royally in laser tag. I can't think of any other sport, other than baseball, I'd like to see you get riled up over. I prefer to look ruggedly handsome instead of a lazy bum. And I _absolutely love_ watching you do yoga. I will take you and every aspect of _our_ current life over being bachelor number nine."

Of course he saw the segment that started this conversation she thinks to herself.

"I thank whatever higher beings there might be that you walked into that party that night and that you allowed me to continuously pull your pigtails." he says running his hand through her silky hair. "I cannot imagine not being in love with you, not being able to fall asleep and wake up with you in my arms, not able to cherish you like the goddess you are, and never getting a chance to spend the rest of my life with you. I honestly don't know where or who I would be if I had never met you Kate."

Her eyes sparkle up at him.

"That was a really complex answer, and," she leans up to kiss him, "really sweet."

"Yeah well. I. prefer. complex. to. simple. Its more thorough that way." he punctuates each word with a kiss to a different area of her face.

He stares into her eyes for a minute, leaning in to claim her lips as he begins to drown in chocolate.

His large gentle hand comes up to cup her face while his other maneuvers to her waist pulling her body up to and against his.

He slowly pushes her down to the couch, his larger body covering her more petite frame. His hand slides to the back of her neck angling her head as to get better access.

She moans as his tongue slides past her lips and begins to explore her mouth. She wraps her free leg around his waist, fulfilling the urge to be closer to him.

He moves from her lips, leaving light kisses on her jaw and her neck, paying special attention to a certain spot just below her ear he knows will drive her crazy.

He leaves a trail of hot, wet kisses all over, stopping only to worship her heavenly collar bone. He sends a silent thank you to whatever being encouraged her to put this specific top on tonight.

A sexy, seductive smile proliferates across her face as his exploration continues to her shoulders. She brings her hand up to play with the tiny hairs at the nape of his neck, desperate to give herself some type of distraction before she comes completely undone right here.

She places a light, barely there kiss on the rim of his ear as she whispers,

"Why don't you take me to bed and show me exactly how _thorough_ you like to be."

* * *

_AN: I have ideas for an additional chapter if you all want it or I can just leave it as is (which means you need to let me know ;) review *hint hint*). I would absolutely love to know what every single one of you thought of this spur the moment story! Thanks so much for reading!_


End file.
